Player of the Week: Damian McKeil

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Damian McKeil

Damian McKeil certainly isn’t the biggest player on the football field, but he seems to always play with the biggest heart.

Routinely, the 5-foot-10, 162-pound lineman busts through opposing teams’ front wall to pressure the quarterback or make a hit on oncoming running backs.

“Damian has come to us for his first year of football, and has excelled at the physical and mental parts of the game,” Lake Region varsity football coach Jason Simmons said. “Damian has thrown himself into team activities and has shown good leadership and a willingness to listen and play where needed. He has been an important part of our team this year.”

In recognition of his strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Damian is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.”

Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed T-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

The McKeil File

Name: Damian McKeil

Year in School: Senior

Town: Casco

Parents: Serena McKeil and Bruce McKeil

School Activities/Sports: Football

Q. Why did you choose football? DM. I never really played sports, but my friends told me I should play football. I like football, so I thought I would give it a try.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish this season? DM. As a team, I hope that we can pull it together and play harder so that we can get a victory.

Q. What do you enjoy the most? DM. I enjoy playing the game and being out on that field until the clock on the scoreboard runs out.

Q. What do you like the least? DM. I don’t really hate anything. Practice isn’t really the best thing in the world, but it keeps me in shape. So, I don’t mind that either.

Q. What makes you successful? DM. I think what makes me successful is my heart — not to quit and keep giving it my best. I also believe my stamina and speed are a good part of my success.

Q. What would your dream moment be? DM. My dream moment would probably be to sack the quarterback and cause him to fumble the ball so I can run it in for a touchdown

Q. What has football taught you? DM. It has helped me to communicate better with a group, and it has improved my skills to work together as a team.

Q. Who has inspired you? DM. I can’t really say I have one person who has inspired me. I have a bunch of friends on the team that got me to play and helped me out when I was first starting out. But, our quarterback — Ryan Skillern — did help me out a lot at first when I didn’t know what to do during plays.